XLTE isn't a "5G", so much as an enhanced LTE, utilizing the AWS spectrum that Verizon has bought up over the years. Said Verizon CMO Ken Dixon:

"We continue to offer the very best network, bar none. Now, XLTE provides an even greater advantage to customers by doubling the 4G LTE bandwidth and providing faster peak speeds in cities coast to coast."

Customers with XLTE-compatible devices won't have to do anything to make their phones compatible — the upgrade will be "invisible" to the customer, excepting the faster speeds and whatnot. The addition of AWS spectrum to Verizon's active network will also improve service for LTE devices that only can access the older 700MHz spectrum by freeing up capacity. Currently, 35% of the devices sold on Verizon are said to be compatible with XLTE service.

The speed of Verizon's LTE service has lagged behind competitors AT&T and T-Mobile as their network has filled with LTE-connected devices. The addition of XLTE should be a boon to most Verizon customers.

XLTE: America's Best Network Gets Even Better

Verizon Wireless today announced XLTE – the next step in ensuring the very best high-speed data experience available on any wireless network in the United States.

XLTE is Verizon's new way to show consumers that they will now have the benefits of even more capacity on the nation's largest and most reliable 4G LTE network, all made possible by taking advantage of AWS spectrum.

"The industry and tech world recognize this is a big deal, and we want consumers to know, too," said Ken Dixon, chief marketing officer of Verizon Wireless. "We continue to offer the very best network, bar none. Now, XLTE provides an even greater advantage to customers by doubling the 4G LTE bandwidth and providing faster peak speeds in cities coast to coast."

All customers automatically benefit where Verizon Wireless has deployed XLTE, part of the company's ongoing commitment to delivering the best experience in wireless. XLTE adds capacity in neighborhoods or areas where demand is high, especially during busy periods like rush hour, lunch times in crowded areas or during events when mobile data use is the highest.

What is XLTE and how does it work?

XLTE delivers faster peak data speeds and a minimum of double the bandwidth to 4G LTE customers in high traffic areas in markets nationwide where AWS spectrum has been activated.

While XLTE network enhancements are invisible to the customer, the mobile experience is not. XLTE Ready devices automatically access both 700 MHz spectrum and the AWS spectrum in XLTE cities. Customers with 4G LTE devices operating solely on the 700 MHz spectrum in XLTE markets also benefit from the extra capacity created by XLTE Ready device traffic moving to the AWS spectrum.

Nearly all of the devices Verizon Wireless sells, including the newest DROID devices, Samsung Galaxy S4, S5 and Note 3, and the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, are XLTE Ready when purchased. Today, more than 35 percent of all devices operating on the Verizon Wireless network can take direct advantage of the added capacity that AWS provides.

XLTE is yet another signal of Verizon Wireless' network leadership as the company continues to innovate on the nation's largest and most reliable 4G LTE network and deliver a superior network experience for its customers.

It comes down to hardware limitations. The Q10 and Z30 are "XLTE Ready", according to Verizon. It's because they support the spectrum Verizon is using for XLTE. The Z10 doesn't. The Z10 also doesn't support the FM radio capability BlackBerry turned on for Q10 and Z30 owners, or Miracast. The price of being a really early adopter keeps going up...

Too bad you could burn up all your data in a few minutes with that beautiful bandwidth, unless you have a rare unlimited plan or pay a ginormous amount of money for your 8, 10, 10GB plans, etc... sure hope they bring back unlimited and then add on tethering packages

I thought the AWS LTE network was up and running already so is this just a formal announcement and/or a nationwide rollout? Anyway, I hope this has a positive collateral effect on Z30 -3 users who can't get band 4 LTE on TMO and AT&T.

Lol some people don't even have LTE and XLTE already coming out.
Well Verizon is the king of overages so, they upgrade the Internet first so people go over their data limit.
No matter how good the signal is at verizon, I'd rather have my data freedom at the BlackBerry hater t-mobile

Not to mention, these unlimited carriers have not shown a complete aversion to throttling customers when/if necessary. Sprint recently announced (or was it found to be?) throttling customers despite advertising unlimited data.

Great. Another cool thing my Z doesn't have. Still, I have my old unlimited data plan from Verizon, and it is mine until I die. I actually don't use that much as I am on wi-fi a lot. But I figure as my data usage evolves, I will be cutting more cables and will get around to using my data plan more. So have at it, Verizon.

Is there a law that allows you to keep a plan that is not profitable to Verizon, or does Verizon just do this to keep you as a happy customer (i.e. not just send you a "as of XXX date, you will no longer have unlimited data, it will be capped at 5 GB per month").

I'm asking because if Verizon doesn't unilaterally kick grandfathered "unlimited" users off their plans, Verizon is still profitable, even when the data is unlimited. All carriers overcharge.

Sadly, I gave up my grandfathered unlimited plan last year when I got my wife's and my Z10s. I wasn't "wowed" enough at the time by BB10 to shell out $1100 for two phones. We typically use well below 1GB of data per month, though, unless we're on vacation. Regarding the faster speeds, folks will be hitting their data limits at alarmingly fast rates! While on vacation one time, I watched a 1080p Youtube video on my PlayBook through my Z10's mobile hotspot (4GLTE connection.) I was watching the data use and that one video ran through +/-650MB in about 12 minutes! People that think they're going to be watching [even more] movies on the go are going to be in a world of hurt when the bill arrives.

So...they're going to be using a 20Mhz bandwidth channel instead of their tiny Band13 10Mhz channel? Shouldn't any LTE device that supports this AWS band be able to support this "fantastic" XLTE technology?

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